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The 888th Wiki:The Ba Sing Se Times/Issues/53
Discussion report Announcements and discussion results: * Months without either an FFS or FFA will now be replaced with a link to the nominating page, and months with neither will also have a link to the Story pages category. User rights report * is no longer a rollback user. * is no longer a rollback user. * is now a rollback user. * is no longer a rollback user. * is no longer a rollback user. * is no longer a rollback user. * is no longer a rollback user. {| style="width:100%; border-top:1px dashed #8B4513; border-bottom:1px dashed #8B4513; margin-bottom:10px;" |rowspan="2" style="width:50%; padding-right:8px; border-right:1px dashed #8B4513; vertical-align:top;" | Well, isn't this strange? I know, I know, I usually don't put interviews in the newsletter, although for this one, I made an exception. , the latest project by former Review-Squad member, , truly deserves any and all attention it can get (plus, this interview is beyond ridiculously late). So, using fancy IM technology, I had a sit down and asked OR a few questions. And then proceeded to fangirl slightly. Anyway, you don't wanna hear about me—you want to hear about Nalia, Crossfire, and exactly what goes on in Mr Rocks' head ^^" ---- So, how are you doing? I'm doing well. How are you? I'm just swell. Thanks for asking :) So, to kick off, let's discuss the easy stuff: this whole idea, where did it come from?  I read an interview with Bryke in which they were asked why they had the new avatar be a woman, and they replied that strong, female characters were among the most popular in A:TLA, citing Toph, Katara, and Kyoshi. I agreed, and then I thought perhaps headstrong female leads were absent from the fanon portal. So I created a female protagonist infused with my sense of sarcasm and wit, which would become her most defining characteristics, and around her I built a scenario to depict a side of the war that hasn't been told before: a sympathetic view of the Fire Nation soldiers. "Infused with your wit". Is this why there are a lot of sexual references? Why do you use so much? Nalia's sexuality, among other things like her temper, exist for mainly three reasons: entertainment, to create a more dynamic and intriguing character, and to show that she's not some completely innocent victim. She's no angel, and I don't want readers to forget that when they start to feel bad for her. So, we're going to see a lot more of this attitude? Ten times more attitude, my guarantee or your money back Aha I'll hold you to that. So, just taking a step back here (but there will be some more on that later), what are your inspirations—for both the story and Nalia? I've been called out before for some similarities to the video game Assassin's Creed, and some of Nalia's stealth techniques can definitely be traced to that. As for the plot, I really look to other stories where strong women are reluctantly forced into some heroic position, like Katniss. The twist I add on is that Nalia is forced to be the villain, but try to keep asking whether or not Nalia is just an evil person to begin with, and Nalia's personality is definitely inspired at least somewhat by the Queen of Sass, my sister.' ' Hmm, now I think about it, I can definitely see the similarities with AC. It reminds my of the type of stories Agent Slash writes. So, you use a lot of references, but how much of that comes through as symbology? I notice that the character's names usually mean something. Agent Slash and I have worked together on fanons before, so it's possible he's rubbed off on me. Or you rubbed off on him? There was probably a bit of both. In terms of symbolism, characters in this story typically represent a different sin. We have lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, envy, and all their friends. Okay, so, which character is which sin? It's typically minor characters who will represent one of the Seven Deadly sins. Nalia and her partner Jirou are more or less a combination of all seven, which you could say makes them very "deadly" Ha ha punny. Speaking of Jirou, how did you think of him? His name, his character? Jirou was born out of a need for more than one main character, but I ended up really enjoying writing for his relationship with Nalia. I don't remember why I picked the name, to be honest, but I knew I wanted someone equally as aggressive and equally as strong to come in as the clear superior in the team and knock down Nalia a few pegs, only to have her bounce back and show him a thing or two. I tried to have two massive forces butt heads to balance each other out, fighting fire with fire, so to speak. Does he fear or respect Nalia? Or is it a bit of both? At first her certainly has no respect for her, and I don't want to get into any spoilers, but I think I make a point of the moment he begins to view her as more of an equal (and with some fear as well). How old is he? He's in his upper twenties, while Nalia is 19. His age is uncertain because all knowledge of anything in the fanon comes from Nalia's perspective, so whatever Nalia doesn't know, no one knows. So, how old is Ming? She's like 12 or 13 or something. Aha so you don't know? I never had Nalia tell us, so I guess it doesn't really matter… unless I did, in which case I forget and couldn't care less Oh, fair enough then. She's a lot younger than Nalia being the point. Will we ever see/learn what happened to Ming?  Yes, but I will not say whether Ming herself makes an appearance or not Spoilers? Okay, sticking with Ming—did something happen in the girls' past to make them so different? I love the questions you ask because you're really getting at some of the deeper themes the series will expand upon later. Trying to avoid spoilers, I'll tell you that the way Kun and Malva (their mother) raised Nalia and Ming were very different. Kun didn't train Ming like he did with Nalia. Ming was much more sheltered, and she never had the rebellious spirit her older sister does. Ahh thank you. It's very easy to think of the deeper stuff when it's a story that really grabs out at you :D So, we're going to learn more on their mother?  I didn't want to reveal everything about Nalia's upbringing from the get-go, which is why most things about Malva (including her name) have not been mentioned. There will be plenty of flashbacks/reflections later on. Does it have something to do with Nalia's nightmares? I get the feeling that they are more than what they seem. ' You mean does her childhood have something to do with her nightmares? '''Well, her history. ' Her nightmares are an effect of the great inner turmoil she is experiencing. Every value that her father worked so hard to instill in her has been pushed or broken, but she's only doing it to save her sister. The moral dilemma is eating her up on the inside. '''And we'll learn more about those through the flashbacks, yes?  Sometimes it will be through flashbacks, other times it will be through subtle/casual references to Nalia's past. It all depends on how much she chooses to reveal, which is a clue in and of itself. Ahh, and to whom she chooses to reveal her past? What would you say your greatest weakness is in writing? And your strengths? I've been told I'm pretty good at keeping up the suspense, which is definitely one of my main focuses with Crossfire. On the flip side, sometimes I get so caught up in excitement I get careless with grammar and I'm too pumped to read it over haha I noticed that Minn is your beta/editor. What strengths and weaknesses would you say she has when looking over your work?  Her strengths are her unmatched skills in writing that we are all well aware of. Her busy schedule does often take up most of her time, however, but I understand that. You said one if your own weaknesses was not reading over carefully all the time. Is this the biggest challenge you face when writing? I don't have the discipline people like Ty and Minn do. What do you mean, 'discipline'? They have the patience to calm their excitement and look over their work a few times before publishing. I have trouble doing that. Huh, that's an interesting way of looking at it. So, I just thought back to the characters, and I have to ask; who is your favourite? Honestly I don't think there's a character who isn't morally deplorable so I'll go with a waterbender who will be introduced later in the series. Aha do you like the morally deplorable ones? I think it's hard to root for them, but once you realize the story isn't about heroes it becomes easier. Really? Is that just because they aren't the 'heroes' that everyone loves in a story? Nalia isn't your typical protagonist, I would say, unless your typical protagonist gets a rush from killing innocent people. No, she isn't, but that doesn't mean she isn't a protagonist. Is Jirou as morally corrupt as she? I think he's worse. At least Nalia sometimes pretends to care Really? Huh. So, he's going to remain a major/main character?  He's essential to the plot right now. Hmm, I'm all intrigued >:D Will he and Nalia continue their relationship? She was very conflicted. Ha, there is no relationship. They have a sexual relationship. Well that question will be answered next chapter''' ' '''Oh no! You aren't going to kill him, are you?' My apologies, I meant the question of where there relationship stands would be answered. As if I'd reveal that, pshhh. Ohhhh. Got it. Heh. Well, just on that topic for a moment, you write rather explicit references, however the actual scene was rather mild in impact. Why did you structure the scene like that? I'm glad you asked. I'll say again that the entire story is told from Nalia's point of view. She chose not to be very detailed in her account of the scene.Remember that she wasn't exactly thrilled with her decision. No, but she still went through with it. Ah, there's another question; why? For the exact reason she explained in the chapter: lust. One of the Seven Deadly Sins. She just had a raw attraction to Jirou and a sexual tension that needed to be relieved. And she just acted on it, and tried to ignore the consequences... You complained a while ago about writing the sex scene, but I found that chapter to be one of the best. Why was this? It was the most difficult scene I've ever written. The biggest challenge was that Nalia is a woman, and I was supposed to be writing a sex scene from a woman's perspective. It made me rather uncomfortable, and it wasn't something I enjoyed writing, so I'm glad it ended up being one of your favorites. Do you think she naturally had a disposition towards violence and acting out, even before her father died?  Well that's the big question the whole series. Was she simply forced into a position that required her to become a violent person, or are there traces of an inherent evil around her?' ' You say that is the big question of the series, and yet one of her 'proudest moments' was putting an injured animal out of its misery. Why? I don't really see how the two are related. She isn't feint of heart. That's not debatable. In her mind, she was doing the animal justice. Ahh, but that show that she wasn't the heartless killer that she has become. She put the animal out of its misery, thus has a heart. She didn't allow it to suffer. She was kind to it, in short. So, moving on. Why do you love this story (because it's obvious from the writing that you do)? I love writing face-paced, action-packed stories, and getting to do it from the perspective of the Sassmaster is an absolute treat. Did you do a lot of planning before you began writing this? Yes! I did so much more planning than I've ever done for a fanon. Have you finished the planning? Do you know how it will end? I have everything planned out. So, what's in store for the readers? Lots of twists and turns, a few shockers hear and there, and plenty more sass, tears, triumphs, and failures from Nalia. Tears? Darn, now I'll have to keep reading. You've written a few other stories before, but what's different with this one? Personally, what makes it your.... Masterpiece? I've put so much more planning into this one than I did my other popular series, Avatar Brek, plus it's a lot more unique. Avatar Brek was yet another fanon about a new avatar learning the four elements. This one has its own appeal. Political Animals was another of your more well-known stories. How do you think your writing has changed over the years? I think any teenager is going to become a better writer after another year to mature and practice. I've probably just become a more intelligent person in general since I joined the wiki, so everything my vocabulary to my structure has improved, I'd say. What's the current word count on this? And why did you stop uploading it on FFN? I have not the slightest clue what the word count is, and I'm not a fan of FFN. I find it too hard to upload chapters and it confuses me easily You've planned this out, but are you still hit with writer's block? I never have writer's block because I know where the story is going, but sometimes I'm simply not in the mood to put my thoughts down on paper What do you do to get rid of that feeling? I listen to music that connects to Nalia's story. What sort of music? It's usually a country song about a redneck woman kicking ass. Like the "theme song" for the series, "Tornado" by Little Big Town. Do you expect that to change? Not any time soon. Now, Crossfire was nominated for a number of awards in the fanon awards last year. How did you feel about that? And the people who nominated you? I was very pleased and appreciative that the fanon was received well. You know I treat it like my baby so to see it do that well was really incredible. Is there anything you want to say to your fans? Yeah. Thanks for putting up with all my delays! | rowspan="1" style="padding-left:8px; vertical-align:top; border-bottom:1px dashed #FFE4C4;" | Is it a newbie? Is it a veteran? No, it's WORDBENDER, here to do a little catching up and offer advice to any writers determined to take on the big world of publishing. I'm not going to lie. When that final chapter went up, when the comments died down, when ended, it was a little hard for me to breathe. Okay, I may have (really, really, REALLY) wanted to work that pun in, but it's still true. An era of my life was over. This fanon and the experience of sharing it with all of you here on the Wiki wound up inhabiting a part of my soul. It was like taking an unexpected, life-changing detour on a painstakingly planned road trip. My stay here was awesome while it lasted, but eventually, I had to continue the journey toward my destination. The road goes ever on. Other projects sprang up like billboards. New characters hailed me down new detours. I could breathe again. The wonderful -if sleep-deprived- asked if I would be interested in writing a kind of 'Where is Wordbender now?' piece. (Not quite as catchy as 'Where's Waldo?', but give it a few years.) What's Up With Word? Plenty. Last fall, the magazine Bards and Sages Quarterly published my short story 'To Slay A Dragon: Being an Instructive Guide as Related by the Misadventurous Knight, Sir Roland Springsfield'. (Apparently, I have a secret love of ridiculously long subtitles.) At the time, I didn't realize B&S held an annual Reader's Choice Awards. I wound up Author of the Year for 2013. Even more awesome, my story will be re-published this month in their anthology and I get a chance to participate in an Author Q&A session during their eFestival of Words (August 24). I won't be reduced to begging or anything, but you could totally stop by. (Please? Please?) I'm not going to act tough. I've never done something like this before -at least, one where I'm not both interviewer and interviewee- and I'm terrified. I wonder if corny jokes would break the ice... Other than this publication and a few story rejections, most of my time since 'Air' has been spent revising my children's novel, Rodney and the Gonjii, about two brothers who find a monster in their attic. The (hopefully) completed manuscript is with a few critique buddies and their fine-tooth combs as I type. Once I get their feedback, I'll be scouring the beaten paths on the hunt for that wild and unpredictable creature known as the Editor. I had the opportunity to co-host a few podcasts for a site called Author's Think Tank at a writers conference. Both the co-hosting and the conference-attending were awesome experiences I'd love to do again. The podcasts have yet to be published online, but I'm looking forward to it and fervently hoping my voice doesn't sound as terrible as it seems to on the answering machine. (What is with that? Do they have a special voice distorter reserved just for phone messages or what?) Between this, and my book review vlog on YouTube, that about covers what I've been up to lately. Now For the Advice... When people find out I've written fanfiction, they ask whether or not it's a good idea for someone looking to be a professional author. It used to be that writing fanfiction was seen as a very strange hobby -if not unethical- when it was something you'd rather not mention to the wrong people. As the Age of the Geek has grown in popularity, we're seeing easier acceptance for things that used to be weird and nerdy. (Like cosplay. Seriously, who doesn't want to cosplay?) My understanding is that a past of fanfiction writing is not going to hurt your credibility. Many writers get their start in fanfiction -and no, not just E.L. James and her erotic Twilight fanfic. (Ugh.) Meg Cabot, who used to write Star Wars fic, thinks it's a great way for young writers to learn how to tell a story. S.E. Hinton indulges in Supernatural fanfic and Cassandra Clare wrote the LotR fics The Very Secret Diaries. Orson Scott Card, R.J. Anderson, even Neil Gaiman has written no less than three published fanfic-type works, and he has something beautiful to say about it: “I'm not sure where the line gets drawn – you could say that any Batman writer writing a Batman comic is writing fanfiction. As long as nobody's making money from it that should be an author or creator's, I don't mind it. And I think it does a lot of good.” (Source) If you want to write fanfiction, write it. It won't make you money, it probably won't make you famous, but it will be a story you're passionate about, and passion is key in writing. The opportunity to write about something you're obsessed with is a great way to learn to bridle that energy and use it for good instead of frivolity. Plus, writing is writing, and practice makes perfect. I learned a few things about myself and my writing while working on 'Air'. Every single one of these fanfiction-founded skills is going to help in a professional capacity. # One of the biggest is that I truly suck at note organization. I am not kidding. It's a miracle I could keep everything in that story straight. (I'm about to experiment with a giant cork board and index cards, so cross your fingers.) # How to work with a deadline. Very important skill, you big writer wannabes. # The benefits of networking (even if I haven't quite mastered it yet). No one's going to read your story if no one knows about it. On the flip side, most people won't read it if you drop messages about it every five minutes or in inappropriate places. Start with conversations. The best way to network is to make friends. # Succinct writing. It was fanons that finally drove the 'less is more' lesson into my brain, and the importance of maintaining your audience's interest. If you're truly interested in improving your writing with the fanfiction experience, use the Wiki's many great resources to the fullest. They really will help, even if it's painful or disheartening sometimes. I know Minnichi has written about how to improve action scenes. The fanon reviewers are usually full of great advice on not only improving your story, but your writing as a whole. You just have to remember to listen to their critiques and not take it as a personal attack. [On a more specific note: Do not dismiss any story advice gives you. If she gives you any editing and revising suggestions for your story, use it. At the very least seriously consider it. I am not joking. If I could steal her from fanons to edit my novel, I would do it in a heartbeat, because I know she would find every single flaw, inconsistency, illogical decision, unsatisfactory story arc, and uncharacteristic reaction there might be, which believe you me is everything you want in an editor.] I don't believe writing fanfiction will hurt your credibility, but it won't do much to build it, either. Your fanfiction -no matter how awesome, how clever, or how well-written- can't be considered publishing credits. This is the part of the journey where I caution you. Let me lead with: I love fanfiction. Writing 'Air' and putting into words my own obsessive habit of outlining further adventures for favorite characters is a heaven for the writer and the fangirl within. I don't regret it for a second and I wouldn't change it for the world. Fanfiction is a great way to find yourself as a writer, or to kill time, or to obsess to the max over Avatar (or any other, though albeit slightly less awesome, fandom). Just don't get carried away. It's an easy trap to fall into. If, like me, you have a desire to be a professional writer, you should think about moderating your fanfiction. Let's use myself for an example. I wrote a story that I loved. I fell in love with more than one character and decided what happened to them after 'Air' ended. * There were some couples I wanted to see get together (Toph and Haru). * There were some characters I wanted to see grow up, find themselves, or fall in love (Roh-Roh and Ursa). * There were a few characters I wanted to see start an A-Team/Leverage style backroom service (Iroh and the staff of the Jasmine Dragon). * There was one character whose adventure didn't get near enough attention and who may have possibly been a member of the Order of the White Lotus (Lady Ursa). * I wanted to know what happened to Sokka's original sword and how it changed the course of a young man's life. (This one I'm not giving away. I'm holding on to this insane optimism that I can still write this fanon). See what I mean? See? Just in the time of writing 'Air', with my brain in giddy geekery overdrive, I had brainstormed, outlined, or even semi-plotted five separate fanfictions. (In case you're curious, that's three serials of undecided length and a three book, 'Air'-sized epic.) These mentioned are only the ideas that made it to the Serious Consideration stage. And these are only the Avatar stories I wanted to write! During the fanon fever, I had ideas for a Treasure Planet continuation and a Once Upon A Time alternate universe. The well of ideas was never-ending. Like I said, if you want to write fanfiction, write it. But if you want to write, at some point you're going to need to decide which is the more important project to you. And that's okay. It's okay to want to be the author of tons of fanfiction. It's also okay to want to be the author of original work. Any story idea you come up with, original or fanon, is going to sound fun. You're going to want to write them all. There's a good chance there won't be time. (I've already come to terms with the fact the OUAT AU and TP continuation will never happen.) You could, of course, be much better at time-management and dual projects than I and therefore obtain the best of both worlds. Yes, I am very jealous. I know from firsthand experience, it's painful to walk away. From this place (which I totally need to hang out at more), from characters, from a comfortable genre. Some story ideas don't want to leave you alone. As painful as it can be, sometimes walking away is the best thing you can do. Now my head is filled with future Rodney story lines and brainstorming for original pieces. I may decide in the future that I need to take a breather and immerse myself in some pure fun. I'm actually really, really counting on it. This is why I'm saving that story about Sokka's space sword. The thing is half outlined already. That's a little tougher to dismiss than just the seed of an idea. I'm not here to shame you into abandoning fanfic for original work. My journey merely brought me down this side path. Maybe yours did too. Now before all you 'real writers' decide to jump the fanon ship, let me just remind you that while writing fanfic might not give you publishing credits, it does help build a reading audience. In other words, don't decide to bail on your half-finished story and leave a bunch of disheartened readers. Take your time. And while you're here, do a little multi-tasking. Use the opportunity to improve your skills. See if you can cultivate yourself some fans while you're here. People who like you and your writing are going to stick with you if they can. As for the journey? This is just the beginning. You have time to have fun, to figure out where you're heading. Spend as much time here as you want. When it's time to leave, you'll know. Until that time comes, this community is a great place to help you find your feet. Write! Get reviews! Listen to feedback! Read! I'll be working on that reading bit myself. My To Read list is full of great fanons I need to check out, which means I'm going to stick around for awhile. See you around the Wiki! Word out. |- | rowspan="1" style="padding-left:8px; vertical-align:top;" | Greetings, Fanon Portal! It's been a while for all of us since the last time we gathered together for our community newsletter, The Ba Sing Se Times. I've returned to resume my responsibilities in the Fanon Review Squad, and today I'm proud to feature one of the most terribly delayed, yet wonderful pieces of writing there is on the wiki. is the lovely work of , our voracious fanon portal editor and newest addition to the Fanon Review Squad itself. It is one of countless works she has to offer on Avatar Wiki, all of which I encourage you to check out if you want to know what it means to be a good writer ;) This oneshot explores the emotional journey of Toph, from the suffocating days of her childhood to the breathtaking moments of her prime. There are a lot of things that loneliness can do to a blind, young earthbender through the years, and you'd be surprised to learn what it takes to get through it. Let's see how Fruipit takes on the challenge of capturing this on paper! The Scores *'Plot - 8.9: '''The plot is evident despite the style of this oneshot being abstract. Toph's life is changed drastically by the people she experiences it with, and Fruipit leads us through the emotional years with stunning, heart-wrenching detail. I'm in love with the premise of this story, though I would encourage the author on the other hand perhaps to stick to a more obvious central idea from the beginning. I picked up a bit later than what I'm used to that it was about Toph's loneliness being filled with love. I believe that the story would be better tied together if Loneliness were alluded to earlier, otherwise it can come off as more a collection of random statements about angst. That's all I can say here; otherwise, nicely done! *'Organization - 9.2: '''Despite no names ever being addressed directly, and despite the abstract presentation of Toph's years, this oneshot is remarkably clear in its direction and purpose. In fact, I love how the author can lead us confidently through it all without ever needing to state anything directly. That's not easy to do. Again though, the only thing I'd say could improve with clarity is a greater tie-in of the central idea from the start. It's critical to keep your readers on track from the very beginning, as those first few lines are the judges of whether or not to read the rest. |} Random polls